Hey! Thank you for your wonderful reviews! They made me finish this earlier then I had expected. It's shorter than usual, but I had to stop at this moment, it seemed a nice cliffie... Dont know when i will upload again, exams are coming closer and closer... But stay tuned! ;)

Oh, the mentioned song has been based upon Hijo de la Luna from Mecano, a Spanish song :)

Arwenia: Legolas have to survive... for now :P Others have asked me to show the Capitols POV too. Firstly, I didn't want that (for one of the pluspunts of Collins was that she just showed the Arena from Katniss' POV, which drew you into the story. But then again, this is a fic, and here I guess you are right ;) So... Capitol's POV :P

Dunedian: Haha, speciaal voor jou een snelle update ;) Je doet me opnieuw blozen! Heb je de boeken gelezen OF de films gezien? Want ik ga er in deze fic wel van uit dat je weet wat er gebeurt met Katniss en Rue :) Wanneer is je volgende vakantie dan?

Falca: Off course he gets hurt ;) That's the fun in it :P But I will try to be gentle. Try. :P Heat means warmth?

Flynn0110: Bedankt! Ik studeer geen Engels meer, maar hoe meer je hier leest, hoe meer woordenschat je opbouwt ;) Best handig :) Hopelijk vind je dit ook mooi! ;)

LikeIdTellU: Thank you! I hope you like this one too, I personally think it's better than the previous one ;)

thewayfaringstrangers: Thanks! I'm glad you think that, usually my (own) characters create themselves :P I'm glad Legolas and Aragorn have decided to be nice for me :)

Wingbeats on the Wind: No, I do remember you, you had this (beautiful) name :) How are you? It has been quite a long time :)

Zee: Soon enough? ;)

Aragorn took another of the leaves out of the pocket and laid it upon one of Legolas' wounds.

He was worried. Rue had shown him a little plant with great leaves that he should use to treat the elf's wounds, and had said that the effects of the poison should wear of in a three days. Then she had disappeared for a few days, before she had returned yesterday, with Katniss. The girl had been stung by the Tracker Jackers too, but she was up and well now. They had gone hunting at this moment.– that is, Katniss was, Rue was trying to find some edible fruits or mushrooms.

Aragorn sighed and turned to Legolas, gently taking the used leaves away and replacing them by fresh ones. Rue had been wrong. The three days were long over, but the elf was still lying here, tossing and moaning, sweat upon his brow. From time to time he cried out, but most of the time he was murmuring nonsense, until the man would sing an elvish song. Then we would calm down completely, only to be caught by his feverish dreams later on.

Aragorn clenched his fists in frustration. He felt so helpless! None of the medicinal herbs he knew were present here, leave alone he had any athelas to soothe his friend. And the plant that Rue used, didn't seem to work for the elf. The man just didn't understand. Why would an elf be so sick of poison where a human girl with the same ailment was healed already?

"No! No! Iris!" Legolas body jerked as his nightmare became more livid. Quickly, Aragorn covered his mouth and pulled the elf against him. They could not risk being discovered now. Not when Legolas was so vulnerable. Softly, he started to sing an old lullaby, one that Legolas too had sung for him when he was but a little child in the house of Elrond. It told about the Lady Moon, who made a full circle when he child was happy, but curbed into a cradle when he was crying. Slowly, the elf started to relax again. His head pushed heavier against Aragorns chest, and his face smoothed. A deep sigh made his chest rise and fall.

"How is he?" Katniss. He had heard the girl coming to them during his song, but his attention had been focused upon his friend. Now he gently placed Legolas upon the cloak again and turned.

"Not well. I do not understand! Why don't he just wake?"

"I have no clue. If he had too much poison in his veins, he should have died long ago. But he only had four stings." Secretly, the girl saw her suspicions confirmed. The lad couldn't survive long in the Arena. Perhaps it was more merciful to end this here and now, but she knew she had to get past Strider then, for the man would never give up hope, even when there was none left. And –foolish as she was- she also wanted the boy to wake up. Just as she wanted Rue to stay alive. Just as she wanted so many impossible things.

"Perhaps you should change the leaves?" Rue's clear voice suggested, but the man shook his head.

"I did a few minutes ago. It has no effect. Could there by any chance grow athelas here? It's also called kingsfoil in the common tongue."

"Not that I know of," Rue answered. Katniss wrinkled her forehead in thought.

"My mother sometimes uses an herb. It has no name, but it is used as a last resort when she doesn't know what to do anymore. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it can also aggravate the patient's condition until death. It's a risky thing."

"Can you show it to me?"

"Would you risk it?"

"I would like to see the herb first. Perhaps I know it."

"Fair enough." Katniss turned and disappeared. She had seen the plant a little further, while she was hunting, but she hadn't taken it with her. It had an unpredictable outcome, and if she would ever need it, she doubted whether she would be still with her senses to prepare a tea with the plant. Her mother had pressed several times that it could only be used in emergency.

But this was an emergency, wasn't it? Perhaps they should wait a little longer. He might wake one day. But it wasn't normal anymore. And every day they stayed near the same place, the chances that they got caught increased. If they used to herb, they could leave his fate to the fortune. And when he did die, it wouldn't be her fault.

There it was. A frail, golden flower, almost hid in the grass. She picked it up, allowing the sweet fragrance to find its way towards her nose. It smelled like honey, one of the marvels of the Capitol she had tasted. Back in District Twelve few did even know about its existence.

When she arrived at their camp, Strider and Rue were sitting near Las, who had started moaning again. They desperately tried to calm him down, but it didn't seem to work. Quickly, Katniss strode to them and presented the herb. Strider almost snatched it out of her hand and smelled. A relieved smile spread over his face.

"Lissuin." He held it under the boy's nose. Las was soothed almost immediately and fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Rue, could you boil some water, if you would like? I'll make a tea of it." Surprised, Katniss looked at him.

"Did you hear what I said about the risks? He could die."

"He could. But he won't."

"What makes you that certain?"

"I just know." The man smiled as he saw Katniss' baffled expression. Little did the girl know of elves. The herb was indeed fairly dangerous for humans, but for an elf, it had a healing ability. It had grown upon Tol Eresseä, but had been brought to Numenor as an adornment for the wedding of Aldarion and Elendis.
Soon enough, the water was boiling, and Aragorn threw the golden petals in it. It smelled sweet.

"Katniss, could you please help holding him upright? I do not want him to choke." The girl didn't answer, but carefully pushed the elf against her chest. Then Aragorn slowly dripped some of the warm liquid in his mouth, praying that Legolas had still enough strength to swallow. Much to his relief, his friend did. It took a while before the elf had consumed half of the cup. Aragorn would have liked it better when he had drunk the whole amount, but Legolas seemed to be exhausted. Sleep was more important now.

"Get some rest, Legolas. I'll be here. I promise." Aragorn thought he saw the hint of a smile before the elf's face relaxed. His breathing seemed to be less laboured.

"Do you think he will get better?" Rue asked silently. Aragorn nodded.

"Yes. He is strong. He will." They sat for a while near the wounded boy, when Katniss scraped her throat.

"Strider, I wanted to speak you of this sooner, but Las needed our attention. I think it is time we move on."

"Le-, Las is not fit to travel."

"I know. But Rue told me about the Carreers. Apparently, they have collected their provisions near the Cornucopia. I want to destroy it." On this, Aragorn looked up.

"Destroy it? How will you do that?"

"Rue will create a diversion, while I set fire to it. I'll find a way."

"You cannot go. It's too dangerous."

"I was not asking for your permission. I was just informing you. Rue and I will go tomorrow." Aragorn sighed. He had forgotten that the girl hadn't accepted him as leader, though he didn't want to let her go that easily.

"If you have no concern for yourself, then have some for Las. When you will destroy their shelter, they will be forced into the woods. That could lead them to us."

"Then you should move."

"As I already said, Las is in no condition to wander around."

"Then leave him. Strider, there can only be one winner. And seeing how weak he is now, the chances that that will be him, are very small. It should be more merciful to end this here." For a moment, Aragorn was too shocked to utter a sound. Just as he was to lash out, he saw the frustration and grief in her eyes. It wasn't cruelty that made her say this. It was pity. So he bit his angry retort away, and bowed his head.

"If I can't persuade you not to go, I'll try to carry Las away from here before the Carreers come. Just be careful, Katniss, and you too, Rue. I would not like any of you to die, despite all what you have said about these Games."

Katniss quickly looked away.

"You should not say that. For if we both survive, then sooner or later one of us has to kill the other."

"We'll find a way out." Katniss wanted to say something, but then shook her head and walked away, to the fire, where she put some herbs and part of the rabbit she had caught into the remaining of the boiling water. This would be the last diner they would have together, she knew that in her heart. They should enjoy it as long as they could.

Thoughtfully, Seneca stared at the images of the four tributes.

He didn't like this.

He didn't like this at all.

The plan that president Snow had charged him with, was failing miserably. The idea was that the two strangers should die in the Arena – preferably quite spectacularly. That would be a proper punishment for those two runaways. The people of the Capitol might have swallowed that sweet, cute story about two boys being left in the wilderness, but not Snow neither Seneca were that stupid.

They had fled their Districts.

And that could not be left scot-free.

That's why they had waited so long before announcing that Strider would have to fight too. He looked strong and ready to fight. He shouldn't have training. Las on the other hand, had been a good diversion, and the dramatic turn of events at Caesars show had been truly unexpected. Everything had gone according plan.

The only problem was that they refused to die.

That they didn't die at the Cornucopia, wasn't alarming. Many died in the first minutes of the Games, but many also could escape. Seneca himself had seen the most clumsy and scared children run away. But usually they were finished of the next day.

Las and Strider didn't. They had survived the night, and the next day. They had even survived the firestorm he had sent to them. He didn't understand. The two, uncertain strangers, one of them barely more than a boy, had become seasoned warriors in the forest, finding any kind of food easily. And they skilfully had avoided the other Tributes on their flight. They had even crafted their own weapons! That wasn't the intention! The idea was that the stronger tributes could claim the weapons, and therefore have an advantage, while the weaker ones were forced to have a try too if they didn't want to be slaughtered later in the Games... whereby they were drawn to the Cornucopia Massacre.

But the two strangers now had wrecked the whole concept! What if future tributes would do the same? The only good thing was that the younger one, Las, had been poisoned by the Tracker Jackers. But it even seemed that he was healing!

Frustrated, Seneca turned around. Gamemakers were not allowed to be partial, but most of them didn't get an order from President Snow himself. The two tributes had to die! Perhaps it had been a mistake to make them representatives from District Thirteen. They didn't want old memories to be revived, memories about a rebellion that had almost succeeded… One more reason they should die.

But how?

He couldn't use the firestorm again. It had been quite effective –if the tribute of District Eleven hadn't helped him, they would have stayed in it. But he couldn't apply the same trick twice. It would be a shame for the Capitol and a shame for his creativity.

Perhaps he could lead the Carreers to them… No, that would be too partial. Making sure tributes died was acceptable, helping them was entirely another matter.

What if he let the river overflow? But then they just would climb upon the rocks, and he couldn't get the water high enough to wash them away.

He could however, add a little surprise to it…

Pleased with himself, Seneca strode to one of his assistants.

"Mister Gray, you are on duty during the night, don't you?"

"Indeed Seneca," the man answered. He had woven his white hair in a large crown upon his head, and his eyelids and lips were painted silver. When he spoke, the pearls in his hair tinkled softly.

"Good. I want you to make a design for me. On my desk in an hour." He watched how the man skilfully logged out and opened his designer's map.

"What kind of design do you wish?"

"It must have following treats…"

While he was explaining his purpose, mister Grays' eyes widened in surprise and anticipation. His fingers itched to get started. It was a simple trap, but ingenious. This would be one of the highlights of the Games!

And meanwhile, Aragorn stood watch near Legolas, and Rue and Katniss. Little did they know about the ordeals they would have to face.

*Dodges any kind of stuff one might throw*

See you later!

Please review ;)

xXx Archiril